Hopelight: I'm just gonna do a standard disclaimer today. No fancy hijinks.
PerniciousTrixie: You'll never make it without sugar.
Hopelight: Shows how much you know! Um…all the characters in this story (except for the kids, and the Beast, and Lady Kazuma) are all the property of Toei and Saban and all them. However, my concepts are all mine. The vast majority of the characters are either half-mine or all mine. What started as a Mary Sue-type thing actually turned out to be one of my very best pieces of writing.
PerniciousTrixie: *spots a Pixie Stik in Hopelight's back pocket* I thought you weaned yourself off of Halloween candy!
Hopelight: …Damn…Hey! What are you looking at my ass for?!
Predestined Chapter Seventeen: The Path of the Innocent
…And so it shall come about that an innocent one of magical blood will arise with the Digidestined, but shall be separate from them for a time. This child will shed one drop of blood and one single tear in his efforts to save his comrades, for his blood is untainted as of now and his tears so far borne of nothing but trivial matters. When his first tear of bitter sorrow drops, it shall awaken the witches of his lineage and send them like arrows from a bow into the Beast. But they alone will not be the only victors; their power will spread from body to body, from person to person, from end to end of the Digital World. Once all evil has been safely abolished, a bond once so securely made and so swiftly broken will be forged again, stronger and more resilient than ever. So shall end the Cycle of the Beast for another ten thousand years, until yet another great force shall present itself…
-from the last prophecy of the Gatemasters
"You're big," Julian commented, absently stroking Perritomon's head. "You should go on a diet."
The Beast sputtered, "H—how…how are you still standing?"
The little boy looked around. His comrades-in-arms were all spread out, lying in unconscious heaps on the red, red earth of Starlight Plains. He looked around in desperation for Kinaka, but found that he could not see her.
"Kina!" he cried out.
"The witch? She's close to death," the Beast sneered at him. "As for the rest of them, they're in varying conditions. Some of them are dying, some very nearly dead. As for you," it continued, "I don't know what I shall do with you. You would barely make anything above a mouthful. I could pick my teeth with you! And I'm not sure I could stomach you very well, either."
"Don't eat me!" Julian trembled. "Honest, I don't taste good! Kina always says I'm a rotten brat!"
The Beast held up one gigantic paw. "Or I could squash you like a bug. Or slice you with my big bad claws…"
"Stop!" Julian screamed. He clutched Perritomon tightly. "You hurt my friends and my big sister! You're big and mean and you smell bad! And you say mean things! I don't like you!"
"Nobody does," it said proudly.
Julian let down his partner and balled his tiny fists. "I'll fight you!" he threatened, which would have made the others laugh if they had been conscious. "I'll pound you good! I'll rip you up! I'll—"
"Shut up. Ancient Fury!"
His attack launched itself directly at Julian's head. But at the last second, his partner leaped in front of him, completely absorbing the attack and rendering the little Digimon broken and dying.
Julian choked out, "No!" and flung his arms around him. "Perritomon, don't leave me," he whispered against the silvery fur.
"Julian," he croaked. "Julian, listen to me. I've waited for generations to be a partner to someone as special as you. And now I have. I need nothing more but to die as a partner…a friend…to die loved by someone."
"But you can't die!" the little boy cried passionately. "You just can't!"
Perritomon closed his beautiful eyes. "I…I wish you luck. Be strong…" he said in a hoarse whisper. "Goodbye…"
"Perritomon, no!" Julian cried, but the silvery dust-like cloud of data that was once his partner swirled away.
A single tear formed in the corner of his eye. Slowly it slid down his chubby little cheek, over his still-bleeding wound, and down to his chin, leaving a silvery-wet streak as it fell. When it reached his chin, it dripped down onto the ground…and from it, a soft golden light spread out, touching everyone and everything.
The limp bodies around him stirred. Each one of them were lifted up, healed instantly of any injuries. Some were dragged from underneath piles of broken rubble; some were hauled up from the depths of the grave. All of them stood upon their feet, completely healthy and at full strength.
Now, Kinaka thought to Tania, who nodded.
The two of them raised their hands. Slowly, in the same golden light radiating from Julian, they let pour from them every ounce of their powers, feeding it into everyone and everything surrounding them. The grass, the stones, the Digidestined and their partners, the ground itself were infused with it. On and on and on it spread, up to the sky and beyond; into the three moons and beyond; around the Digital World and into its depths, until every part of that world was concentrated with the power.
The other Digidestined looked from Kinaka to Julian to Tania, and then at their own bodies, marveling at the strength they suddenly felt. They flexed their fingers, watching as threads of silver light shot from them. Then all of a sudden, their Crests melded into their chests, shining brightly with blinding radiance. From their Digimon there rose a circle of golden light, encircling them all.
"What's happening?" Jenna cried out, alarmed. But she had nothing to be afraid of.
The Digimon merged together for the first time in four years. Completely skipping every level known to the Digital World, they pure-heart evolved into Azulongmon in less than five seconds. All the newbies were wide-eyed and slack-jawed with disbelief at the huge, powerful being before them.
Lee looked sideways at Rachael. "Well," she said, "does this satisfy your need for a power surge?"